Patrick J. Sloyan

An easy to read and understand book of what happened to the Marines in Lebanon in 1983. It is not a simple situation but Mr. Sloyan explains it clearly and well. Mr. Sloyan goes back to the Nixon administration and sets the story of what had been happening and what did happen leading to the attack on the Marine base.

After reading this and other books of history, I believe we should require all those serving in government, especially in Washington, D.C., to understand world politics and know the consequences of their actions upon that other country and on the U. S. I was appalled at how little interest and knowledge Reagan and his national security people had about foreign affairs in the Middle East. If it pertained to the Soviets, it was on the radar. If not, well, who cares.

Too often, the guy on the ground is ignored and blamed when the fault should be put on the leader who ignored expert/onsite advice and made the decision in Washington, D.C. based on his feelings. I still see these things happening today. We do not learn.… (plus d'informations)

If we are there to fight, we are far too few. If we are there to die, we are far too many.
Congressman Sam Gibbons, D-Day veteran



I was a young Marine when the barracks in Lebanon was destroyed, and two hundred twenty Marines (241 American service personnel) died in a terrorist attack. I remember the outrage. I was still serving when Reagan went on national television and said that, yes, there was a plan to trade arms for hostages, after denying it. I remember the outrage as a fellow Marine got up and left the room, shaking his head. "Our president lied to us." is all he said. Older now I know politicians lie, but then we felt that we were fighting the good fight and had a President who was one of us and held the values we held as Marines.

Sloyan digs deeper into the Middle East that was handed to Reagan and what he and his advisors did to complicated the problem. Haig, a Nixon holdover, has come to light as a power-hungry individual with his own agenda, served under Nixon, Ford, And Reagan. Nixon, who was betrayed by Haig, pushed Reagan to appoint him as Secretary of State. Reagan listened and later regretted. Later Schultz as Secretary of State and Wineberger as Defense Secretary could not agree on a Lebanon policy. Reagan, on the other hand, had visions of US airstrikes knocking out the Soviet-backed Palestinians and Syrians. For Reagan, it was always about the communists. The US also backed a puppet as Lebanese president who was an Israeli patsy. It seems no one had a clear idea of what was going on.

In the confusion, Reagan decided to send in the Marines as peacekeepers. The Marines fulfilled this role in 1958, entering the country as a far superior force. This time a small group numbering 1,200 entered the country and tried to separate the belligerents with little more than their reputation of being Marines. Weapons were not loaded, and the rules of engagement prevented any meaningful deterrent. The Marines were headquartered at the Beruit airport -- flat terrain and an easy target from the surrounding hills. Marines also protected the barracks. In fact, the truck drove through the barbwire between two Lance Corporals on duty with empty magazines (as ordered). Properly armed, the Marines could have stopped the attack. The Marines effectively had their hands tied, and blame was unfairly laid at the feet of the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Larry Gerlach.

When Reagan Sent In The Marines is a history of the US in the Middle East and the story of how misguided and ineffective our policy in the region was in the 1980s. Sloyan examines the hows and whys of the US in Lebanon and shows what went wrong and how Reagan managed to turn disaster into political gain. The barracks bombing was the single greatest loss of Marines since Iwo Jima, and it is essential that all the details of the event are made public.… (plus d'informations)

historical-places-events, historical-research, war-is-hell, journalist

After absorbing this report by a renowned investigative journalist the reader will be able to understand:
What led to the event.
What went wrong.
Why it went devastatingly wrong.
How it was handled/mishandled.
The implications for today.
The reader will have the information to make an informed judgment so I feel no need to summarize.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St Martin's Press via NetGalley.… (plus d'informations)

The Politics of Deception may very well shock some readers, while some may not believe any of it. Having said that, Sloyan has furnished citations, and official documents along with first hand knowledge to build another level to the Kennedy Bibliography. The writing is concise, and fast-moving; Sloyan has constructed a compact, yet highly detailed account of the back-room deals that went on within the Kennedy White House. After a half century, it is a reckoning of the truth in many ways. I highly recommend The Politics of Deception.

Read the complete review in The Thugbrarian Review @ http://wp.me/p4pAFB-tJ… (plus d'informations)